The present invention relates to an improved lighting system for boats and more particularly to a brake light system used with an outboard marine engine to warn boats in the vicinity when the boat ahead is slowing or stopped.
The increasing popularity of fishing and boating has created a substantial need for improved safety in boating. In particular, a warning light system is needed for boats to warn other boaters when that boat is slowing or stopping. This is especially important for people who use their boats during twilight and nighttime hours. Many events involving boating taken place during such twilight are nighttime hours, in particular fishing tournaments and hunting. In fishing tournaments, boaters often line up during early morning hours to take turns racing to their favorite fishing location. During the line up, boats are often idling in very close proximity to each other awaiting their signal to accelerate. A significant danger to these boaters is that the boater ahead will not accelerate as expected or will suddenly slow or stop causing an accident. The darkness and fog of early morning causes limited visibility which further promotes the danger of collision.
In another boating activity referred to sometimes as cruising, boaters will trail along in a line front to rear at a reasonable speed for traveling a waterway. However, large wakes, obstructions, mechanical problems, or other demands may cause a boat in the line to need to slow or stop. If a trailing boater is not paying close attention, the boater may not perceive that the boat ahead has changed speed and realize the need to slow or change course. Thus, even further need exist for a system to warn other boaters with a boat ahead is slowing or stopping.
Systems such as the Boat Safety Lighting Apparatus and Method of Using Same in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,916 to Sokolowski have been provided to give information to boaters about the position of a boat having the lighting system. Sokolowski teaches the use of a lighting system mounted on a boat to indicate whether the transmission direction of a boat is head on, away from, or turning with respect to the observing boat. However, the Sokolowski prior art has not taught a simple system of providing a brake warning light for outboard engine motor boats that is easily adaptable to most boats having outboard engines and will indicate when a boat is slowing.
The present invention provides a brake light that is mountable on the rear of an outboard marine engine. An electrical switch operates in conjunction with the throttle of the outboard motor to actuate the warning light when the throttle is closed near neutral causing the brake light to energize and provide a signal. A typical outboard motor throttle includes a cylindrical trunnion that may be used to actuate the switch when the throttle is opened or closed. When the throttle is closed or near closed the trunnion will allow the electrical switch to activate. Whereas, when the throttle is open beyond a critical point, the electrical switch will close as the boat accelerates or continues to travel at a reasonably fast speed.
The boater may operate the throttle by the throttle control lever. Therefore, the warning light may be illuminated by moving the lever from a forward position providing accelerated boat operation toward a neutral or near neutral position providing slower boat operation.
Therefore a first object of the present invention is to provide a simple warning light system adaptable for use in outboard marine engines which includes a mounting member for mounting a bright warning light to the top of an outboard engine facing rearward from the stern of the boat.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an outboard motorboat warning light system that is inexpensive to construct and that adapts to an existing outboard marine engine using a minimal number of new parts.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a warning light that indicates to a boater behind another boater when the leading boater is slowing or stopping.